Crazy
by TygTag
Summary: Olivia gains knowledge of the assassination attempt mere minutes before the birthday gala.
1. One

**Crazy**

TygTag

Olivia gains knowledge of the assassination attempt mere minutes before the birthday gala.

_Please note that I'm focused on my multi-chapter fiction, Authentic. This right here is an exercise. I may or may not add to it. If I do add to it, updates would be sporadic at best. Enjoy!_

c – r – a – z - y

_Thud_

_Thud_

_Thud_

Her heart had been thundering in her chest since she received Huck's phone call a mere fifteen minutes ago.

She knew with the festivities that at some point she was going to have to get out of the car and run. Her clothing would be suspect but she could only hope with her credentials that she would be let through security. If she told anyone beyond Cyrus or Tom what she knew, she might be looked at as crazy and the threat might be dismissed.

That could _not_ happen!

She would try Cyrus one last time.

"Cyrus c'mon pick up your damn phone!" She growled in frustration.

"Olivia?"

"Cyrus! Thank god, you have to listen. You can't let him get out – "

Suddenly a double beep was heard and the line went dead.

Olivia let out a screech of frustration when she pulled the phone from her ear and saw that it had died. She leaned forward to look out the car's darkened windows. She could see that they were finally pulling up to the National Gallery.

_Thud_

_Thud_

_Thud_

The staccato of her heart thundered loudly in her ears, her vision began to blur around the edges as the adrenaline began to race viciously through her veins. She could hear the roar of the crowds as the car pulled up outside of the National Gallery. It turned out she had been cleared by security an hour earlier, once the driver announced it was Olivia Pope he was carrying they were waved right through. As soon as the car came to a stop, she was out like a shot.

Frantic, she ran toward the Presidential motorcade that had just pulled up. Without a thought she kicked off her heels and began to run at the cars.

"Don't let him out of the car," she shouted, though the words were lost in the din of enthusiastic crowds.

Agent Tom Stanton's eyes widened at the sight that greeted him. Olivia Pope ran toward him at a full clip, barefoot dressed in a pair of dark wash skinny jeans and a thin cream colored sweater. She looked frantic, she looked disheveled and nothing like the Olivia Pope he knew. A few agents went to subdue her but he gave the order to halt. She was screaming something but he couldn't tell what.

At that point both the President and the First Lady had already exited the vehicle; it was just before they could both make their way around to the front of the vehicle, that five loud bangs could be heard and Olivia slammed heavily into the President's chest sending them both crashing to the ground.

It all happened so quickly it couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but in those few seconds Agent Tom Stanton's world narrowed.

With the first bang, the President's body rolled backward.

With the second bang, Ms. Pope's back arched forward, throwing her into the President.

With the third bang, the President's head rolled backward.

With the fourth bang, Press Secretary Britta Kagan's body fell to the ground.

With the fifth bang the Secret Service had already pulled the President's body out from under Ms. Pope's and hustled the fallen man into the limousine. Tom took one look at the ever growing blossom of red coming from Ms. Pope's back and made a decision that would change _everything_. He grabbed the woman and hustled her into the same limousine as the President just before it pulled away from the National Gallery in a squeal of tires.

Tom knew that he had just breached major protocol. His one objective was to protect the President. He knew that they had just left behind a crowd full of stunned spectators, the President's Chief of Staff, the First Lady and quite possibly a very dead Press Secretary but when he looked over at the President lying in his partner Hal Rimbeau's arms lost in a haze of pain and blood, while silently trying to call out the name '_Olivia_' he knew he'd forever make the same decision all over again.

c – r – a – z –y

Cyrus Rutherford Beene couldn't breathe.

The phone call he had received from Olivia a few minutes earlier was jarring to say the least but he knew she was on her way to the gala. There was no reason the two couldn't catch up at the party. So he put it from his mind and enjoyed the rest of the quiet ride to the National Gallery.

He had been hanging around outside waiting for the arrival of the President and the First Lady before he too would make his way inside. Needless to say his jaw dropped when he caught sight of Olivia in a pair of jeans and a sweater running toward the President and screaming. It was then that Cyrus's stomach dropped but before he could even move anarchy broke out.

Then the bangs came.

Suddenly there wasn't enough air in his lungs, his stomach rolled and his eyes involuntarily filled with tears. The cheers from the crowd had quickly turned into shocked and horrified screams. His world began to spin and it didn't seem to want to stop. When his vision began to clear he saw that the Secret Service were already gone and so were the bodies of two of his friends – his best friends if he was honest with himself.

As he looked around he was at a complete loss, he then caught Mellie's eyes just before he was hustled into a car. The shock and horror he saw there mirrored his own.

What the hell were they supposed to do next?

c – r – a – z –y

Anger and humiliation burned so hot like fire in her veins. When she first caught sight of Olivia Pope, she couldn't believe the scene the other woman was making. However, it only took a moment for Mellie to realize that something was very, _very_ wrong. Olivia Pope, was always poised, always so in control. It was something that Mellie hated and envied at the same time. Nothing ever seemed to rattle the unflappable Olivia Pope.

The woman running toward them was anything but, she looked a mess, frantic, desperate and afraid. Mellie could see the faint sheen of tears at the corner of Olivia's eyes if the light hit her face right. She was screaming something but it was being taken by the wind and the sounds of the crowd.

But the fear she could see in Olivia's eyes – that was something that shook Mellie to the core.

Before she could even make a move, it sounded as if an explosion went off and then she couldn't see. Her agents had reacted and had taken her to the ground. The sounds from the crowd were no longer cheers but shrieks of fear. By the time she was able to look up she saw her husband's agents had dragged his lifeless body along with that of Olivia Pope into the limousine and like that they were gone.

She then looked around her in shock; with a nod to her agent she was allowed to get to her feet. As she was guided to a waiting car, the back of her hand went to brush her cheek. When she pulled away she saw it was smattered with blood. She knew it wasn't hers, which meant only one thing. It either belonged to Fitz or Olivia – with that her steps staggered and she was sick.

c – r – a – z – y

He knew he had to get things under control. Mellie was lost in a sea of anger and confusion. She was help to no one and the two people he would have turned to were fighting for their lives. The screaming, the panic, and the blood it was all beginning to be too much. People were constantly asking him what to do, what should be said and at that point he really had no clue – he was at a loss.

He stopped just for a moment and within that moment he was able to pull it together.

He quickly ordered that the stock markets were to be closed, the threat level was to be raised and a generic blanket statement was to be put it out. There still was so much screaming, most of it coming from Mellie but he had no time, there was no time to deal with her.

It was in that moment that another life altering decision was made.

He then turned to a nearby aide and told them emphatically that they had to get Olivia's _entire_ team down to the hospital. They were to all be cleared at the highest levels and brought to him. He then stressed that if they were unable to get the entire team that night that the one named Huck was to be brought in at all costs.

Cyrus had made a choice.

If Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III and Olivia Carolyn Pope made it through this alive and intact, he would no longer stand in their way. But the battle wouldn't be easy; they were going to need a guard dog, a gatekeeper.

He was just crazy enough to take on the job.

**End one**

_Well… wasn't that fun!? Hope you enjoyed reading that as much as I did writing it!_


	2. Two

_Wow talk about interest! Authentic still comes first and the next chapter is more than half written but I had some time to kill and this just wouldn't leave me alone so enjoy!_

Two

_Olivia couldn't help but grimace at her reflection in the mirror. She had ultimately decided to cancel on Edison and not attend the President's 50__th__ birthday gala with him. What made things even more awkward was that she had made this decision just barely two hours before. She let out a sigh as she fluffed her hair in agitation; she then let her hands slide down her body before they settled on her tummy. Olivia then scrunched her nose in annoyance at herself before she wandered slowly into her living room. _

_Her phone then began to chime softly._

"_Huck," she questioned as she flopped down onto her sofa. _

"_Olivia, I found something."_

"_What?" she asked as she tucked her feet up underneath herself. _

"_There's no time for details, but an attempt will be made on the President's life, tonight. I'll do what I can on my end to stop it but you have to get to him, get to the gala. He's already en route. He cannot get out of his vehicle." _

"_Huck, what are you –?"_

"_Olivia, you need to focus! You need to go and you need to go now!"_

_Olivia's hand dropped as she quickly cut off the call. Her mind suddenly began to race and before she could even take another breath there was a knock at her door. Without a thought she whipped the door open._

"_Miss Pope, your car is here," the man greeted with a smile. _

_In that moment she had never been more thankful that Edison didn't know how to take 'no' for an answer. She knew this would be the fastest way to get to the gala and through security. The only thing left to do was to attempt to get in touch with someone close to the President – someone who could keep his ass in the damn car. _

**Forty-Five Minutes Post Shooting**

Cyrus looked around the private waiting room in frustration. Both Olivia and Fitz were still in surgery and they really didn't know anything about either of them at that point except that both were still alive and fighting to stay that way. There was a constant stream of Secret Service making their way in and out of the private waiting suite. However, very few actual White House staffers were allowed in. That was exactly the way Cyrus wanted it. He had heard through the grapevine rather quickly that Sally Langston had attempted to land on the South Lawn. Cyrus had allowed himself a full twenty seconds to completely freak the fuck out before taking hold of the situation. He had quickly squashed that garbage, with a few quick words he ordered a direct line to the Marines and had threatened them within an inch of their lives. No one knew who had ordered the attack or if there would be another attempt on either the President's life or American Citizen's lives. The safest place for the Vice President was in a bunker and Cyrus Beene made sure that was exactly where Sally ended up.

Mellie was still utterly useless but at least she had calmed down, he was ready to have her sedated earlier but thankfully she had finally gone into something of a near catatonic state. He had never been so thankful to a Secret Service Agent before. Although no one would probably ever say anything about it ever again, everyone present knew it was because of Agent Tomas Stanton that Mellie had stop screeching like a banshee.

In all the chaos both Cyrus and Mellie had ended up outside the adjoining operating rooms that held Fitz and Olivia's bloodied and broken bodies. He still in shock had barely uttered a word; only that to make sure what needed to be done was done. Mellie however would not stop screeching and at the sight of her husband's most trusted and senior agent standing guard over Olivia Pope sent the woman over the edge.

"Why are you not guarding your Commander in Chief? What the _hell_ are you doing outside _her_ door!?" Mellie screeched loudly.

While Mellie fairly tall herself, Agent Tom Stanton stood at least a good head taller than her. The man cut an imposing figure, stoic faced, broad shouldered and covered in blood. The white shirt of his tux was completely soaked, whose blood Cyrus didn't know but that blood was soaked into the man's shirt, up the side of his neck and onto his large hands. Secret Service Agent Tomas Stanton was a bloodied sentry at Olivia Pope's door there was no way in hell you would see him arguing with the man.

"Ma'am,"

"You serve the President!"

"Ma'am,"

Cyrus continued to look on wide eyed.

"_She_ is –"

"Madam First Lady, Olivia Pope is quite possibly the only reason your husband is still alive to fight for his life tonight. She threw herself into the line of fire to protect the President of the United States. That makes her a soldier, _a solider worth guarding_." Tom said quietly, he then bent his body forward slightly and made sure to make eye contact with Mellie. "The threat is still out there, I will _not_ leave her side. If _she_ dies, the president is as good as dead anyway." He finished just as quietly, his eyes lingered on the First Lady's for a moment before he once again pulled himself up to his full height and returned his eyes forward.

At that all the fight seemed to drain right out of Mellie. Cyrus had never seen Mellie literally wilt before. The woman's jaw dropped, her shoulders slumped and she just seemed to stop. Cyrus looked toward Tom with a newfound respect. He knew then it would be okay to go sit and wait and just hope. Both Fitz and Olivia were in good hands. Cyrus gently took hold of Mellie's wrist and led her back to the private waiting suite. He then deposited her in a chair and she hadn't moved from that spot since.

The heavy steps of two agents headed straight toward him, pulled Cyrus from his musings.

"Sir," one said simply.

The other silently stepped to the side to reveal a stoic Huck.

Cyrus stopped short at the sight of the man, he was considerably cleaner and smelled a hell of a lot better than the last time he had seen the man. However, what remained the same was the haunted look and the aura of danger and unease that hung around the man. But Cyrus knew, he knew this man was Olivia's solider, her disciple. This man was would burn the world down for Olivia.

"Is she alive?" Huck asked.

"Huck –"

"_Is she alive_?" He pushed.

Cyrus stopped short at the look in the man's eyes. The level of desperation took him aback a moment.

"Yes, yes she's alive." He hastily replied.

A breath of relief escaped Huck and his body relaxed minutely.

"She's injured badly, they both are. Both are in surgery at the minute. She tried to call – to warn me but the call it was cut off and… and by then it was too late. Do we know who did this? Do we know why? What do we know?" Cyrus asked desperately.

Huck stood in front of Cyrus a quiet expression of contemplation on his face. His hands were hooked behind his back and his head was cocked to the side as if deciding on something. It was several beats before he spoke.

"Are they currently being guarded? Do they both have Secret Service Detail?" Huck questioned.

"Uh yes, yes of course. The most senior agents are posted outside their operating rooms. There will be no rotation of agents for a few hours yet. Even then it will be only approximately a four or five hour break, enough to allow the men some sleep. The government is basically in lockdown right now – the highest of alerts." Cyrus explained.

"They can never be left alone _ever_. There must be an agent present with each of them at all times."

"Huck, what do you know?" Cyrus asked again quietly.

"Harrison Wright, Abby Whelan, Quinn Perkins and I are already here. Stephan Finch is en route. We are the only ones who are to be allowed in for Olivia. No one else is to be trusted. The President and Olivia are to never be without an agent present in the room. Even we are not to be left alone with them. Not until they are both awake, up and moving again. Do you understand?" Huck continued as if Cyrus had never spoken.

"Huck," Cyrus pleaded with a nod.

Huck's eyes quickly scanned the room before they locked on the Chief of Staffs'. He then moved to take the seat across from him. Things had never been more dangerous or precarious for the country than they were at the moment. Huck knew the next forty eight hours would be the defining ones – everyone would have to tread carefully.

"Soon, for now we have to make sure they make it out of surgery and that the country keeps running. I've sent Harrison and Abby to the White House. They will be your ears, your eyes and hands while there – use them. Quinn will be my eyes and ears here. Stephen once in D.C. will be brought directly here. We're here Mister Beene. Until Olivia is back, we're here – we're yours, we march on your orders." He said quietly.

Cyrus let out a self deprecating huff.

"Let's hope this change of command doesn't last long." Cyrus said.

Huck merely nodded in response before he pulled a small slider phone from his pocket.

"This is your line to us; we are the only ones with this number. If you need to get in touch with any of us this is the phone you use, this phone and only this phone. We will only ever call you on this number. This phone is clean, it's secure and the only way we can talk if not in the same room together."

Cyrus nodded in response.

Huck took one last long look around the room before he was gone.

Cyrus collapsed back into the chair. He was trapped in a nightmare and until Fitz and Olivia woke up he knew there was no waking up from it. A small weight had lifted from his chest at the thought of having Olivia's team at his disposal. He knew they moved mountains and were capable of miracles, so it was a balm to know they were on his side. However, Huck knew way more than he was letting on. The level of intensity at Huck's insistence that neither Fitz nor Olivia were to ever be alone scared him. That alone made it abundantly clear that the attack came from high up, someone close, someone on the inside and that terrified him.

c – r – a – z – y

It was shown on a perpetual loop, on every station, on every broadcast. It was all anyone would show over and over again and Stephen Finch's stomach would roll every time he saw it and this time was no different.

He was currently on a private jet, probably twenty thousand some odd feet up on his way to the capital. He had been at home watching the live footage of the gala and his heart stopped when he saw Olivia come onto the screen running at a full clip toward the president. It was difficult to tell if it was the bullet or if it was Olivia herself but her body literally launched itself at the President before the two went tumbling to the ground. After his hundredth viewing, he knew it was Olivia. Olivia had thrown herself at the president to get him to the ground. Sadly she wasn't fast enough and the bullets were faster.

And just like the first time his heart stopped as he watched the president's hands reach out to grip Olivia's forearms as he took Olivia with him to the ground.

Not even ten minutes could have gone by and his phone was ringing. It was Huck at the other end explaining that it was once again time to take up arms. The Gladiators had been called to war and so like a good soldier, he kissed his wife goodbye and began to make his way toward the frontlines.

c – r – a – z – y

The heart and mind raced. It happened – the hit that was ordered had been carried out.

The President had been shot.

Olivia Pope had been shot.

Both fought for their lives at James Madison Memorial.

Dear god what had they done, was it worth it? Would they follow this path again if they could go back?

What was it someone said once?

'_The worst regret we have in life is not for the wrong things we did, but for the right things we could have done but never did_.'

At that very moment, the statement rang hollow. Never before had they regret a decision made in haste, anger and shame more.

Two people could die because of a choice they had made.

Despite the remorse and regret racing through their veins only one thought remained prominent.

'_No one can ever know_,'

**End Two **

_Holy crap that was exciting! I'm kind of falling in love with this story but I still standby my statement that this will remain as exercises for me – maybe, probably. Anyone else freaking out over it all!? Who shot Fitz? What the hell is going on? What does Huck know!? What do you think?_


	3. Three

**Please note the rating has jumped from T to M. Nothing too graphic but there will be a tad bit of torture in this chapter. It's gonna get a little dirty up in here**!

_Ha! I love it; drop the mic chapters that had me cracking up. I'm thrilled you guys are hungry for this one. The ideas are buzzing loudly; I really want to keep you guessing! That's half the fun let's be honest. Saddle up kids! I've managed to slip some Olitz goodness into this one – how you might wonder? Read on! _

Three

"_If you're just joining us, it's now been twenty four hours since President Fitzgerald Thomas Grant has been shot. An unknown gunman fired five shots outside the President's 50th Birthday Gala last night. There are two other victims besides the president. Britta Kagan and Olivia Pope also sustained injuries. _

_Britta Kagan, the administration's Press Secretary who succumbed to her injuries after arrival at James Madison last night. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Miss Kagan's family and friends. _

_The Grant administration's former head of media relations and current crisis manager Olivia Pope, Olivia Pope has essentially been with the Grant administration since their days on the campaign trail. So not only is there a good and close professional relationship there, there is also a very personal one. This might explain Miss Pope's odd appearance at the gala last night. _

_From what we understand the President was shot twice, once in the head and once in the chest. We are still waiting for more details, all that we have been told is that the President while in critical condition, he is stable. Olivia Pope was shot once in the back and is in serious but stable condition._

_Information is coming to us at a trickle but as soon as we have more to share we will of course be sharing it with you, our viewers. However, I think we can all appreciate the seriousness and delicacy of what is happening right now. There is already talk of _–"

"Ugh, I can't take this. I wish I could just turn this garbage off. It's the same crap over and over. They know damn well we can't and won't release any more information. At least not right now," Cyrus growled in frustration.

"Mister Beene, Cyrus – the media is a necessary evil and you know it. We've used the first twenty four hours to our advantage. Everything and everyone is currently in a holding pattern and that's all thanks to the media. It's them that have kept Sally Langston on the outside looking in." Stephen said quietly.

"You think I don't know that? Christ, Fitz is in a goddamn coma and the only good thing about it is that it's medically induced to help him heal. We got fucking lucky that the bullet didn't penetrate his skull. All thanks to Liv to be honest. You know the surgeon said that if Olivia hadn't practically thrown herself into him that the bullet would have fucking hit his brain – his brain! A damn miracle that it just _grazed_ him _grazed_ him my ass. The force alone cut him up something fierce… and Liv… god Liv, well she's passed out and we're now stuck waiting – fucking waiting," Cyrus said with a sigh.

"She'll wake up; they say it's not a coma just her body is healing itself. When she's ready and strong enough her body will let her wake up. We just have to be patient. Give her time,"

The two were holed up in a conference room that was two doors down from the large waiting suite where most of the Secret Service was stationed. It didn't really matter where they were to be honest since the entire floor had been taken over by Military Personnel and Secret Service. However, this room in particular had become something of a command central since there was a large conference table, multiple phones and televisions in the room. It made it easy to keep up with and control the narrative.

"Time isn't something we've got. The country is currently without a conscious president. I don't know how much longer we can keep the officials locked in varying bunkers. If Fitz isn't at least awake by the time we let Sally out of her pen, we're screwed." Cyrus said as he spun around in his chair, like a petulant child.

"Maybe but the prognosis for both of them is good and we both know if the President wakes up before Olivia all hell will break loose. We could probably keep playing the extensive investigation/manhunt card for at least another forty eight hours. That's two solid days to get our ducks in a row and to hope both Olivia and the President are back among the living by then." Stephen mused.

"That's also two good days to see if we can get Huck to share anymore on what knows. He knows something, something important!"

"Huck is… Huck is an entirely different animal. You can_not_ push him. He is loyal to Olivia, which in turn makes him loyal to the president. When it's time for us to know what he knows –we'll know!"

Cyrus merely gave a nod in response.

"Where is the First Lady? That woman… I just like to be aware of where she's at, at all times," Stephen teased.

"Sulking somewhere around here I imagine. All I know is her ass has to be parked here for optics sake; otherwise I probably would have shipped her back to the White House."

"The woman does know how to make quite a first impression," Stephen teased.

_Stephen Finch was currently standing behind two very large Secret Service men, who had been his constant companions since his flight had touched down. _

_He had gathered his things, stepped from the plane and was quickly hustled into a dark armored car. He was then quietly informed that while Abby and Harrison were at the White House he was being taken to the hospital, to Cyrus. He didn't even bother to inquire about Huck's whereabouts; the man was more than likely in the wind at the minute with all that was going. Stephen knew the man would only resurface when he had something of value._

_With that thought his mobile began to ring and a smirk curled on his lips._

"_Huck," _

"_Stephen, once you get to the hospital touch base with Quinn before meeting with Cyrus, let her know you're there to stay then have her call me." _

"_Got it,"_

_Before anymore could be said Huck had cut off the call. With a sigh he tucked the phone back into his pocket. Huck very much believed in the principal of 'need to know basis'. It was how he now found himself in a lift with two very large bodyguards. He had already met with Quinn in the lobby and knew she was on the move to do Huck's bidding if the phone call he caught the tail end of was any indication._

_However the very loud screaming and screeching of a very angry sounding woman gave him and his agents pause as they stepped from the elevator. The two agents shared a look before their shoulders slumped in exasperation. Clearly they didn't believe there was any danger but that didn't make Stephen any less cautious._

"_What the hell are you trying to pull Cyrus!? You would think you're the one that took a god damn bullet to the brain!" Mellie snarled viciously. _

"_Ma'am I really need you to calm down,"_

"_Ma'am my ass Cyrus!"_

"_**Fine, Millicent**__! Mellie you need to calm the fuck down. The way you are behaving right now is unbefitting of First Lady. Those two __**need**__ to share a recovery room and you __**know**__ it! Right now just about anyone who would want to see either of them would want to see __**both**__ of them. Those same people would need clearance at the highest level…" Cyrus's voice then dropped an octave as he stepped closer into Mellie's personal space._

"…_and we both know Tom isn't going to abandon Olivia so if we want the __**BEST**__ guarding Fitz then they need to be in the same room and since you are __**technically**__ his wife you need to sign off on the idea as well. It's time to suck it up and be a god damn team player. Security personnel agree that its best they are kept in the same room." He finished in an even tone. _

_Stephen and his agents hovered at the entrance to the room as they watched Mellie's cheeks redden in embarrassment and frustration. The woman held her back ramrod straight, her chin held at a defiant tilt. _

"_Fine,"_

"_Fine, Olivia and Fitzgerald can share a recovery room?"_

_A silent nod was his response. _

"_Mister Beene," _

_Cyrus then turned his body away from Mellie, effectively dismissing her. The two agents then stepped to the side to fully reveal Stephen. The two only really knew of each other, only having ever met once before through Olivia_.

"Yes you did manage to walk in on one of Mellie's finer moments," Cyrus chuckled.

"I think we need to see what's being said amongst Sally and the Cabinet Members. I know the lot of them are being kept apart in varying bunkers but you know some type of dialogue is taking place. We need to make use of the agents with them. We need to know what is being said so that when our forty eight hours are up – we're ready, whether our dream team is awake or not." Stephen mused.

c – r – a – z – y

Quinn bit her lip in indecision. She knew Huck said to watch and wait but she hated waiting even when life was B.B.Q. [before being Quinn] she had very little patience when she could be up and doing something and right now she could _really_ be doing something. Once Stephen had arrived at the hospital she had put in the obligatory call to Huck and with few words he had ordered her to the safe house.

When she had arrived, Huck had led her through the dark halls and back into the actual space and that was when she heard the moaning. The place had undergone a few renovations, since she had been there last. The windows were now all blacked out, there were more computer screens up on the walls all dedicated to the new security camera network that seemed to case the surrounding streets and interiors of the building but what had her attention was Huck's girlfriend stripped naked and lying on a large sheet of plastic, bound with duct tape in the middle of the room.

"Huck," She said the question clear in her voice.

"Quinn say '_Hello_' to Becky. Please take note that Becky is _not_ her real name but for our purposes today she will remain Becky. Becky was a very bad girl, _a very bad girl_. Becky targeted me because she knew that I belonged to Olivia, that the President belonged to Olivia." Huck said in an eerily soft voice.

"Oh my god, is she –"

"Quinn, meet the woman who attempted to assassinate our president and in the process shot Olivia."

A huff of disbelief escaped Quinn as she flopped into a nearby chair.

"Quinn I need you to take care of our guest,"

At that Quinn jumped to her feet and began to shake her head in the negative.

"Quinn, you can do this. I'm not asking you to babysit. I'm asking you to look after our guest. I have to go out for awhile. You are the only one I trust with this. _You can do this_." He said quietly.

That was how Quinn found herself now nearly an hour later looking down at the woman known as Becky in indecision. This woman had targeted Huck, sensitive, quiet and lost Huck all in hopes of pinning the attempt on him. She had also nearly killed the woman, who saved her life, who she owed everything in her new life to. Although there was some bitterness over the death of Lindsay, Quinn could honestly say she liked her life now. She liked who she was and the people in it.

"Becky, you hurt people who are very important to me." Quinn whispered.

Becky's eyes widened in terror because for the past hour Quinn hadn't uttered a single word since Huck left the two women alone to go off to god knew where. If the would be Presidential Assassin were honest with herself she was more afraid of this Quinn, than she ever would be of Huck. She had done her homework; she knew Huck was a trained killer. He had tasted blood and liked it. The difference she could easily see in Quinn was that she knew Quinn had never tasted blood but she knew – _she just knew_ the baby faced woman would love it.

Quinn slowly walked over toward Becky's prone form; she then squatted down next to the woman before dropping to the floor completely. Quinn had never been more thankful for Huck's instructions to change into a pair of jeans, boots and simple top. Office casual was apparently not allowed in Huck's wheel house and with good reason.

"The question is why though; I mean you're a gun for hire. So the question is who hired you? I know you'd probably never answer me, I don't know the right questions to ask or how to ask them but do you really need your finger tips to answer any of those questions?" Quinn questioned softly as her finger tips brushed up against Becky's softly.

Becky's body began to tremble at Quinn's musings.

Without a word Quinn was leaning across Becky's body to drag Huck's tool box closer to her side. Quinn then slowly began to remove varying tools from said box. A set of scalpels, a set of small knives, a small cordless drill and what looked like to be a bone saw all passed through Quinn's hands.

"Do you know how to use any of this stuff? Huck said you guys all have specialties. Like some of you can't set anything on fire to save your lives but that same person can carve like a master sculptor. I mean I don't know much myself. I'm pretty sure he wants to share with me but feels like he shouldn't – like he can't. He's always telling me I should be more like Olivia, wear the white hat. I want to, I do. I don't want to be a bad person but… sometimes I wonder. I wonder what it would be like," She trailed off into a whisper.

Becky began to shake her head back and forth, eyes wide with fear.

"Why did you hurt Huck? He was… he was really starting to like you I think. Huck is – Huck is very important to me. I mean at first I was pissed as all hell with Huck, I felt he took my life from me but in the end he was saving me. He saved me. You know what no one knows is that Huck would talk to me; he would talk to me when no one else would. He'd come to my apartment and would talk to me or just sit with me. There was one night we sat in my apartment in the dark just staring at each other; it was… it was nice." Quinn said with a small smile, her eyes far away before they darkened once more.

At that point Quinn had begun to paw a large cleaver

"You hurt Olivia, which hurt Huck. You hurt Huck. Why? Why would you do that? You shouldn't have done that. You _really_ shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry Becky… but I'm going to stop wondering now,"

With that Quinn brought the cleaver down on Becky's left middle and index fingers.

Becky's eyes widened and a scream ripped from her lips though it was muffled by the tape wrapped over her lips. The woman began to tug frantically at her bonds as the blood began to pour from the two severed digits. Quinn looked down at the hand in wonder as blood began to pool on the plastic; she then pulled the cleaver away and was able to clearly see the cut was clean.

Almost as if in a trance, Quinn tentatively took the two severed tips and placed them gently by Becky's head in the peripheral of her eye line. She then moved her hand back to the small pool of blood. Her own finger tips brushed the blood lightly before they took on a dark stain themselves. She then moved to brush a stray strand of hair from Becky's forehead with the same hand. A bright stain of red appeared on Becky's skin.

Quinn smiled.

c – r – a – z – y

A deep breath,

Followed by another,

And another,

There wasn't enough air to fill their lungs.

The burn of alcohol did little to soothe their rattle nerves either. There just didn't seem to be enough air, enough time, enough of anything. For now everything was quiet but they knew it wouldn't say that way.

The Vice President and Cabinet Members were all being kept in varying bunkers across the metro D.C. area a tactical ploy by none other than Cyrus Beene, all to keep the power at home because it was widely known that neither Fitz or Olivia were awake yet. It was all the news outlets would keep talking about, the footage from the night of the gala was shown on a perpetual loop. Olivia Pope's praises were being sung to the highest of heavens. It was already decided by media and popular opinion that if the woman had not shown up and done what she did that President Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III would surely be dead.

Olivia Pope was a saint in the eyes of the public.

If it ever got out they were connected to the assassination attempt life as they knew it would be over. There would be no recovery; there would be no finding their way back from this.

Right now everyone was running on borrowed time.

If they were to survive this BOTH Fitz and Olivia needed to pull through, neither of them dying was an option, at least not anymore.

c – r – a – z – y

Beep

Beep

Beep

The steady pulsating mechanical sound emanating from the machine pushed into Olivia's consciousness and was pissing her right the fuck off. Someone needed to turn that obnoxious thing off, whatever the hell it was. Olivia's eyes blinked blearily against the harsh albeit low light of the room. Suddenly it all came slamming back into her. Huck's phone call, the ride to the National Gallery, her running and then falling and Fitz falling with her, pain then blossomed in her chest. A pain like she had never felt before. A huff escaped her lips as her head lulled to the left, she caught sight of a large observation window, covered by blinds and a door, and she then saw two large shadowy figures hovering outside through the window.

She then allowed her head to roll to the right and the sight that greeted her, took what little breath she had away. He was here with her, he was alive, he looked about as bad as she felt but in that moment she couldn't care because he was in the bed across from her and very clearly alive. Olivia's eyes then fluttered shut as her body nearly collapsed in on itself in relief.

"Fitz," she said soundlessly.

It was then she realized that the obnoxious beeping was coming from a machine that was hooked up to Fitz somehow. Suddenly she was overcome by the need to touch him, to know that he was real, the he had survived and was still with her.

A deep breath.

Olivia heaved herself into a seated position that alone caused a huge explosion of pain in her chest and back. Her vision began to blur and her body swayed in response, she then clenched the sheets in reflex and forced her body to still and vision to clear. Perspiration began to bead up near her brow as a shaky breath escaped her lips when she swung her legs to the side of the bed. Every moment caused new blossoms of pain to come bubbling up. She did her best to ignore it all, Fitz was only a few feet away and so was his bed, she could go back to resting then.

She just had to get there first.

Her feet hit the tile floor with a dull thud, Olivia vaguely registered that it was cold and uncomfortable and once again figured the best thing for her to do was to hobble over to Fitz's bed as quickly as her body would allow. All that could be heard in the room was her very labored breathing and the soft shuffle of her feet as she very slowly made her way toward Fitz's bed.

Suddenly her arm was jerked backward and when she looked behind her she saw that she was in fact hooked up to an I.V. of some kind. Olivia couldn't decide if it was simply saline or if it was the good drugs that were allowing her to move. So she made the executive decision to go back for the pole. By the time she got the pole and made it back to the half way point she was huffing and puffing in exhaustion. It was only a few more arduous steps before she was climbing into bed beside Fitz.

It took a little maneuvering but she was soon settled in beside him, one hand curled around his neck, and the other curled around one of his hands. Her body collapsed heavily into his side. She then pressed a lazy kiss to his chest and squeezed his hand before her body gave up the fight and she slipped away into a deep sleep once more.

Thus she missed Fitz's fingers weakly tighten around hers in response.

**End Three **

_I bet you guys read torture and went on no naughty Huck but it was baby Quinn! Yeah I love me some Huckleberry Quinn, so that's happening. Check me out! I managed to get our favorite kids into bed together even when Olivia is high on drugs and Fitz isn't even technically conscious, because that's just how I roll lol. I would have had this out sooner but I'm still recovering from a birthday cake hangover. Reviews are love_!


	4. Four

_I'm asking you guys not to get mad at me beforehand… so yeah_

Four

Dark eyes scanned the surrounding space suspiciously. Even though both Olivia and Quinn had warned against it, he just couldn't help it. Old habits die hard. It was a compulsion, a sickness, a habit; muscle memory there was no way to stop it or him. Anyone that came close to him or The Gladiators; his family had to be checked out. There were no exceptions _ever_, there couldn't be. Everyone at OPA had secrets, secrets that needed guarding, that needed protecting.

Huck would forever be their sentry.

So he had begun to dig and the more he looked into '_Becky_' the more he decided he didn't like his findings. It was this last bit of information he had come across that caused his vision to blur and bleed red.

Becky was a cancer.

Huckleberry was now a very upset _somewhat_ reformed assassin.

There was very little time and if his suspicions were right then they were all in danger. He had invited a sickness into their house, their home. It would have to be cut out like the cancerous cell it was. He quickly placed an urgent call to Olivia outlining the situation before he was thundering down the hall to Quinn's office. The door to the office opened with a bang that caused it to vibrate as he stood in the doorway with a dark expression.

Quinn merely looked up from the computer screen with an inquisitive expression.

"Go bag, now!"

Without question, Quinn ran to grab the small black duffle tucked away in the corner before she raced to follow Huck out of the office. The team wasn't wrong when they teased Quinn about being a '_Baby Huck_', originally Huck had only intended to help Quinn with hacking purely because it took some of the pressure off him if she could work on the smaller things. However as time wore on he found himself actually enjoying Quinn's company. While he loved The Gladiators and would go to bat for any of them his loyalty and heart belonged to Olivia. She was his mother, sister, daughter, friend and savior. Quinn… However Quinn was an entirely different animal.

There was something there, something he had no desire to define.

"What the hell is going on?" Quinn asked as she hopped up into the SUV beside him.

"You need to change and fast, if I'm right Becky isn't Becky and she's about to kill the President." He said as a matter of fact.

Quinn who was now barefoot and in nothing more than a bra and panties froze at Huck's words.

"I'd say are you joking but… you don't joke. Fuck Huck!"

Huck shot her a look and she continued to change her clothing. This had to be a onetime thing. From now on Quinn's work attire was going to have to change. She now ran with him more often than not. Simple but chic tops with jeans and boots would be better suited to their activities.

"When we go out there you are my girlfriend, we're there to just meet up with an old friend of mine. I don't know what we're going to find when we get to the hotel but you need to be calm and relaxed. You need to follow my lead."

Quinn gave a quick nod in agreement and the two hopped out of the SUV and made their way into the hotel hand in hand. Huck continued to scan their surroundings while Quinn did her best to keep a level head. She knew she still flustered easily and the last thing she wanted to do was draw attention. When they reached the room Huck's steps slowed suddenly.

"Stay behind me," he said softly.

As the two made their way into the room five loud bangs filled the air in quick succession.

With the gunshots a fog came over Huck's mind. There was now a lot to do and very little time to do it in. Quinn's entire body had seized up near the door and he knew that was something he would have to help her with later but now, now it was time to clean up. In two quick strides he was back across the room and placed a gentle hand on Quinn's shoulder which seemed to pull her from her own haze.

"Quinn, time to clean up," he said earnestly.

A nod was his response.

"Five shots," he said.

"Five casings," she responded.

As she dropped to the floor to collect the casings, Huck went about dismantling the gun. He knew if the two of them weren't out of the room in the next two minutes it would be over. Just as he was shutting the gun's case Quinn came up behind him, all five casings in the palm of her hand.

"Time to go," he murmured.

Huck then pulled Quinn into his side as the two exited the hotel room. He quickly guided her over to the fire alarm and with a quick pull the two were making their way down a side staircase. He made sure to keep them moving at a brisk pace and soon the two were back in the car. He had caught sight of the chaos erupting on the streets below as he dismantled the gun. Huck knew what he saw when he looked out that window. It was time for everyone to come home, so his first phone call was to Stephen Finch and before he could even make another move his phone was ringing and the caller ID was flashing a number that he knew belonged to the White House.

He quickly then made the decision to take the gun, the casings and Quinn back to OPA. Things were happening far too quickly for his liking but there was very little he could do. Once he had dropped Quinn off and dealt with Cyrus Beene, Huck headed to the Ludus, the safe house.

Olivia was no longer able to run the show. They were now in Huck's wheelhouse.

Huck worked very methodically for the next hour as he prepared the safe house for its incoming guest. He worked to make sure that the place had power and its back up power in place. The numerous new security measures he had recently put in were all up and operational. He then gathered the materials he would need for his initial meeting with Becky.

It was then that his phone began to ring.

"Huck,"

"Quinn,"

"Stephen just arrived and with some major muscle. He said that you wanted me to call as soon as he touched base."

"I need you to go back to OPA; you need to bring both the gun and casings to me. Remember to take your time, don't be in any type of rush right now. Come to the Ludus when you're ready."

He then cut off the call and calmly pulled on a pair of black leather gloves.

It was time to go to work.

Now here he stood right back where he started not even twenty minutes later. The only difference was that now there was a very naked and still drugged out Becky on the floor. It took all his restraint to not just kill the lying traitorous bitch where he found her but she was still important – she had information, information he not only wanted but needed.

Five Minutes passed – Becky started to come to.

Ten Minutes passed – He got a call that Quinn was about five minutes out.

Fifteen Minutes passed – Becky was fully awake and Quinn had arrived.

Becky was secure.

The gun and the casings were secure.

It was now time to head back to the hospital. While he didn't have all he needed yet. The upper echelons would need an update, something that would keep them calm until he had all he needed. After much debate he was able to get Quinn to keep an eye on Becky.

He wasn't worried, when needed Quinn had one hell of a vicious bite.

Huck was once again being escorted through deserted quiet hospital corridors. Both Fitz and Olivia had been moved and tucked into the most secure and remote wing of the hospital, it was almost at a level of no one got in and no one got out.

At least not without armed escorts.

He was then shown into a large conference room. The large table was covered in various papers and the six different screens were showing six of the major news networks. It was clear that this was command central.

"Huck," Stephen greeted.

"What do you have?" Cyrus asked, not bothering with pleasantries.

"I am currently in possession of the gun, the casings and the would-be assassin, what I don't have yet is who ordered the hit." Huck said simply.

"Good Lord," Stephen whispered.

"What the hell do you mean '_what you don't have yet is who ordered the hit'_, you mean to tell me that this is some sort of major conspiracy bull, grassy knoll garbage?" Cyrus asked incredulously.

"I'm not really sure yet sir. I have my suspicions but it's really too early to tell and I'd rather not speculate." Huck replied.

"What's the plan?" Stephen asked.

"What are you talking about? Huck gives over the evidence and the fucker who thought they could do this and we interrogate the shit out of 'em." Cyrus growled.

Stephen didn't even bother to correct Cyrus in his assumption.

"No," Huck said quietly.

"No?" Cyrus asked in disbelief.

"This stays in house right now. We don't know who ordered the hit, until we do making this public is a risk, a huge one. The President is still alive as is Olivia, whoever ordered this is still out there and might get desperate and try again if they know we have their hired gun. It all stays with me – for now. I will handle it."

The finality in which Huck spoke quickly silenced any argument Cyrus might have had. They were all working toward a common goal and at this point it mattered very little how they got there.

"Once I have what we need I'll be in touch."

With that Huck was once again on the move.

When all of this came out there would be no due process for Becky, there would be no trial. She would be taken in under the Patriot Act or some other largely obscure law that was put into effect to protect The Republic. The ones who would face a court of law and the court of public opinion would be the people who had orchestrated the attack.

That was all fine and good in Huck's opinion but he first had to find out who the puppeteer was.

Now back at the safe house he could hear Quinn's voice speaking softly. He paused outside the main room as he listened to her muse about life, his toy box and about his relationship with Becky. When he heard Becky's blood curdling scream he finally stepped into the room.

"Quinn,"

Startled, she jumped to her feet and began to gnaw on her lower lip as she eyed Huck warily.

"Thank you," he said softly.

The nervousness and insecurity soon melted away from her eyes. He then stepped across the room and over Becky's prone body, ignoring her moans and placed a gentle hand on Quinn's shoulder. He then turned to look down at the broken and bleeding woman beneath them.

"Hello again Becky, we need to talk. There are some very important things that you know that I need to know too. I know we haven't been in a relationship very long and trust is something you earn. You've sadly broken my trust but I know that I will have to earn the information you have locked inside of your head. I'm prepared to do that."

c – r – a – z – y

Agent Tom Stanton was currently standing guard outside President Fitzgerald Grant and Olivia Pope's hospital room. He had just returned to duty after a few brief hours of sleep. The Presidential unit of the Secret Service had set up shop within the hospital. No one ever left. If it was your time to be off and sleep you stayed on hospital grounds. A few rooms had been set up similar to army barracks and the men basically slept in shifts.

The past few hours had been utterly surreal for the agent. He had come to know and respect both the president and Miss Pope. They were two people who were very clearly in love but fate never did seem to be on their side. He had meant what he said about not abandoning Miss Pope. He could still remember the night that the president had walked away from her prior to his trip to the G8 Summit. Although he had tried to hide it, the president had shed a few tears as he made his way to the motorcade and then he had honestly spent much of the summit completely liquored up. The man struggled to function when he was without Olivia. It was something that Tom had personally witnessed firsthand on many occasions.

Tom genuinely feared for the president if Olivia didn't make it out of this unscathed.

It was another reason as to why he was in complete agreement with the heightened security measures. Four agents were assigned to the recovery room. Two were to always enter the room first prior to visitors while the other two continued to stand guard.

"Tom,"

"Mister Beene, Mister Finch," he greeted with a nod.

Tom and Hal moved forward to do a quick sweep of the recovery suite but what they walked in caused them both to pause in their tracks. The two shared a look and quickly motioned for Cyrus and Stephen to enter the suite. The four men stood in shock at the sight of Olivia Pope not in her own bed but curled up and around the president.

"So, does this mean Liv is awake?" Stephen asked excitedly.

"It would appear that way but… just how? How is this possible? She shouldn't have been able to get into Fitz's bed with her wounds." Cyrus mused.

"Hal could you step out and retrieve the doctor for us, Tom would you please," Stephen trailed off as he motioned toward Olivia.

Tom gave a quick nod in response and gently took Olivia into his arms as he moved her back into her own bed. Despite all of the extra security measures and non-disclosure agreements that had been issued, there was no way any of them could down play Miss Pope being cuddled up in bed beside the president. Tom then stepped back and took up a post right beside the door.

Huck's orders had been clear, an agent to be present at all times.

As Stephen and Cyrus continued to converse softly, Olivia began to shift restlessly in the bed.

"Liv," Stephen whispered as he stepped up to the side of the bed.

Cyrus continued to hover closer to the foot of the bed.

Olivia licked her lips as her eyes blinked rapidly.

"Stephen," she rasped.

"Hey there girl, next time you want me to visit ya just call me." He teased.

Olivia smiled sleepily in response.

"Liv," Cyrus said as he stepped forward.

"Cyrus… Cyrus! Have you been in touch with anyone else from my team?" Olivia asked, suddenly frantic as the cobwebs began to clear.

"Yeah Liv, we've all been here for you and the president." Stephen responded.

"Where's Huck?" She asked.

"In the wind, doing what he does best," Stephen replied.

"Is there anyone to get in touch with him?"

"Yeah, he left a phone with me," Cyrus said as he dug into his coat pocket.

Olivia eagerly reached for the phone and pulled it close to her chest before looking up at the two men whom she called friend and even brother on occasion.

"Kid… you ever do something like this; just keep your damn phone charged from now on." Cyrus finished with a choked sob.

"Cy," She murmured as she reached out for his hand.

Olivia gave Cyrus's hand a quick but meaningful squeeze as she looked up at both Cyrus and Stephen with watery eyes.

"I'm okay, I feel like shit but I'm okay." She said with a watery chuckle.

This of course caused the two men to smile.

"I feel like hell and I need to touch base with Huck but catch me up."

Stephen and Cyrus shared a pointed look.

"We don't know the '_who_' or the '_why_' but Huck is putting the puzzle pieces together so it shouldn't be long before we have the answers we're looking for. Britta Kagan is dead but thankfully and I use that word loosely the only other people that were hurt in this were you and the president. You saved his life Liv," Stephen said.

"You really did, he was hit once in the upper chest, close to his shoulder on the left side and a bullet grazed his head badly but luckily didn't penetrate his skull. Everyone is pretty sure it was you colliding into him that saved him from that damn thing penetrating his brain. You were hit in the back; the bullet just barely grazed one of your lungs. Both of you came out of surgery okay, we're really all at a point now of just waiting for the both of you two to wake up and for Huck to bring in the bastards that did this." Cyrus growled.

"Wow," Olivia murmured.

"Olivia, take it easy, I know you want to go into fix-it mode but let us handle things for a little while." Stephen said as he reached out to squeeze her hand.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she wilted a little more into the bed.

"Okay I get it, I do… but I need to speak with Huck. Can you guys give me a few?" She asked with a small smile.

With a nod the two men quickly exited the room followed by Tom who shot Olivia a small smile as he pulled the door shut behind them with a soft click.

One Ring

Two Rings

Three Rings

"Mister Beene," Huck huffed out.

"Huck,"

"Liv,"

"Are… are you okay? You sound winded."

A snort of disbelief escaped his lips at that.

"Olivia," He said with a strangled sob.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," she said softly.

"You ever do something that stupid again," he growled.

"Got it,"

A heavy silence came over the line as the two listened to the other breathe for a moment.

"Talk to me,"

"I have the shooter and the weapon physically in my possession… and I have information, I know who ordered this. I'm still working on the '_why_' but having the '_who_' is more than enough, the '_why_' will come in time."

"Huck," she whispered brokenly.

With a heavy sigh Huck then began to outline all that he knew and had discovered everything from the decision to ignore Olivia's advice when it came to spying on Becky, to her capture and interrogation. However none of that fazed Olivia in the least not when he started in on the information that Becky had shared with him that day. As she listened to Huck's soft monotone voice, the color drained from her face, her body began to shake and her vision began to blur until the phone slipped from her hands.

Olivia then leaned over the side of her bed and felt her stomach turn as she was sick.

c – r – a – z – y

Justice Verna Thornton's hands trembled as she brought the delicate porcelain to her lips. The tea did absolutely nothing to soothe her rattled nerves. Her mind wandered back to a few weeks prior and that damned meeting she knew she should have never attended.

She knew it was only a matter of time. She could only hope when they showed up on her doorstep they were discreet about it.

The heavy bangs on her front door while expected still startled her. She continued to sit in her library quietly as she waited for them to come for her. Verna did nothing but set her teacup down as she saw numerous men clad in black pour into her library.

"Justice Verna Thornton, you're under arrest."

c – r – a – z – y

Hollis Doyle smirked in smug indignation as he felt the cuffs close over his wrists. He knew exactly what this was about. He also knew that he was innocent. He wasn't worried – not even a little bit.

c – r – a – z – y

Millicent Grant's body shook with repressed sobs as she sat in the unmarked vehicle surrounded by agents, her hands cuffed together as they rest over her pregnant belly. Her heart dropped to her stomach as she saw the Pentagon building slowly being to appear.

**End Four**

_Holy Popes Batman!? What in the hell is going on? Our beautiful POTUS hasn't woken up yet – I'm not worried. Are you? I know this was everyone but Fitz and Liv heavy but I swear I'll make up for it when our two favorite babies are awake – at the same time. _

_Reviews are like my crack and cookies!_

_Note, Ludus is a term for a type of training school that Roman Gladiators used. It's where all the plotting, scheming and fighting that the public didn't get to see happened_.


	5. Five

_For those of you following Authentic I must apologize. I've been very good about bouncing back and forth between these two stories but this chapter would NOT leave me alone. However I am now back to working on Authentic so we should get back to our regular swapping back and forth update schedule_.

Five

They were now approaching the forty eight hour mark since the shooting.

Fifteen minutes after her world dropped out from under her Olivia was able to calm down enough to get her mind in order. She gave the go ahead for Huck to keep working with Becky. She knew that Quinn was with him and while hesitant, Huck assured her that while he would look after Quinn, she was more than capable of handling herself. It was clear they were close to getting all they would need out of the woman, Olivia knew that once Huck was finished with Becky the girl would be nothing more than a blithering mess to turn over to the government. Although she couldn't find it in her to drudge up too much sympathy for the girl. She was a rogue, a lone gun for hire. She came from a stable home, two loving parents and apparently wasn't happy with the status quo and went out on her own and fell in with the wrong crowd. She was smart, she was pretty and it made some very sophisticated criminals sit up and take notice. Becky was a criminal through and through, she had no governmental ties whatsoever. When Olivia heard Huck name, Mellie, Hollis and Verna as all possibly being involved with the hit on Fitz she couldn't and didn't want to believe it. These were the same people who fought tooth and nail to get him elected.

Why would they want him dead?

That was the where and why Huck had more work to do. Becky said plainly her only direct contact was with The First Lady but there were numerous text messages and phone calls between the three in the past four weeks. Ninety percent of them originating from Mellie, but none of this meant anything until there was solid concrete proof. That was the reason as to why as soon as Olivia was able to gather herself together she put word out to Cyrus and Stephen that Hollis Doyle, Verna Thornton _and_ Mellie Grant needed to be collected, put under heavy guard and brought in for questioning.

Olivia can still recall Mellie's enraged screams as she was taken in by the Secret Service.

_Cyrus walked in step with the two very large Secret Service Agents at his back. He couldn't help but cringe internally as they made their way toward the small waiting area tucked at the end of the hallway, it was the room that Mellie had been camped out in since the ordeal had began. While he was still struggling to wrap his head around what Olivia had shared with him he knew her intel was good. Grim faced, he accompanied by two agents stepped into the room._

"_Madam First Lady,"_

_Mellie merely looked up from her magazine with a bland expression; however it soon dropped from her face when she took in the very large muscle that had followed Cyrus into the room._

"_Cyrus… What is this about?" she asked softly._

_Cyrus shook his head in response and stepped back to allow the agents to step forward._

"_Ma'am, we're going to need you to come with us."_

_At that Mellie dropped the magazine and got to her feet._

"_Cyrus, what the hell is happening?" Mellie questioned again._

_However, Cyrus turned his head and took another step back to allow the agents to do their job. _

"_Ma'am you need to come with us. You have been implicated in connection to the assassination attempt –"_

"_You cannot be serious!?" Mellie screeched indignantly._

_The two agents then shot Cyrus a questioning look, within a beat Cyrus gave a quick nod of his head. He knew if they didn't get Mellie under control and quickly the situation would disintegrate quickly – pregnant or not. The two large men moved forward, one quickly got behind Mellie and settled his large hands on her shoulders as the other moved to place handcuffs on her wrists._

"_Wait, please wait… I'll be calm. Please Cyrus; don't force me out of here in handcuffs." Mellie turned to Cyrus pleadingly._

"_Mister Beene, it's your call."_

_A heavy sigh escaped Cyrus at that._

"_Fine, the First Lady can be escorted out unbound but please take two more agents with you." _

_Mellie wilted in relief at Cyrus's words. One of the agents whispered a few quick words into the mouth piece at his wrist and within another moment two more agents appeared. Cyrus then lead the troop from the room, Cyrus at the helm, followed by two agents then Mellie and finally the last two agents brought up the rear. _

_However as they rounded the corner they ran into Cyrus's ultimate nightmare: Stephen was helping Olivia back into the recovery room under the watchful eyes of Tom and Hal. Suddenly things were happening all at once, Mellie let out a scream of frustration and indignation at the sight of Olivia in her husband's hospital room, while she was being lead out like some common criminal. Mellie lunged forward, barreling into and past the two agents and Cyrus. This of course caused all the agents in the immediate area to react. Both Tom and Hal barricaded themselves in the recovery room with Stephen, Olivia and the President. One of the four escorting agents placed Cyrus firmly behind him while the other three grabbed hold of and subdued Mellie. In a matter of seconds Mellie was in cuffs and each of her arms were being held firmly by an agent. _

"_Mister Beene," _

"_Escort her out of here, she is not allowed back under any circumstances. She is not to be seen by anyone!" Cyrus huffed out_.

Olivia winced in pain as she leaned forward and ran her hands along Fitz's leg. She was currently curled up at the foot of his bed giving his lower legs and feet a massage. Despite being shot not even two days earlier and doctor's orders Olivia was usually found hovering around and in Fitz's bed – not her own. She knew it would only be a matter of time before her man was up and running the world once more. His body had been moving about as if he was just asleep. It was now a waiting game.

Her mind then began to wander again. Huck's intel was never wrong – never. No matter what happened whoever was guilty of initiating the hit on Fitz it was going to be a public relations nightmare. Mellie was his wife, Verna was a Justice he had handpicked and Hollis was considered a close friend/advisor and donor to his campaign. It was because of that, she had sent Stephen to the office to call everyone in. OPA was officially shutting down to outside cases, at least temporarily. Everything they were currently working on would either be wrapped up or would be passed off.

Olivia Pope and Associates and its services now officially belonged to the White House.

c – r – a – z - y

Hollis Doyle snuffed in good humor at the holding cell he was currently trapped in. The Tycoon was well aware that his dealings with the First Lady were what had him end up in this rather sticky predicament. He knew there was some major bull going on when Olivia Pope abruptly left the White House and suddenly Mellie Grant was pregnant but what was the real tell that all things were not well in Camelot – Fitzy boy looked like someone had killed his puppy. He had to hand it to the two of them – one would never suspect that Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III worshiped the fucking ground that Olivia Carolyn Pope walked on but by god did he. Hollis had stepped out on his wives enough to know when a man was creeping but in all honesty he only knew because he had caught the President staring at Miss Pope one evening when he thought no one was looking. That man was in love, with a woman who wasn't his wife. Hollis was mightily impressed when he realized what was going on. He himself had never had any real desire for a bit of chocolate, but he could very well appreciate that Olivia Pope was drop dead gorgeous and fucking brilliant – an intoxicating combination.

He could see it.

They as a couple made sense – way more sense than Fitz and Mellie ever did.

Ah Mellie Grant, that woman even made Hollis Doyle nervous. He can still remember the rather cryptic phone call from nearly a month earlier. She had called about some Defiance nonsense, claiming that Olivia wasn't doing her job.

That she needed to hire out.

Well who the hell was he to tell her no… or even ask for more details. Millicent Grant was a formidable woman if she said she had a handle on situation, you tended to believe her. He had given her a name and a contact number and that was it. That was where his involvement ended. Hollis was well aware he could still be implicated as an accessory but at the same time he knew that the White House would want to keep as much of this under lock and key as they could – that would be his ace.

High priced and fast talking lawyers would only help him so much in this very delicate situation, something that he was very well aware of. He was more than willing to play ball, but only with Olivia Pope.

Hollis was well aware of her crisis management firm and this right here was a dang crisis. However he was genuinely innocent of any real wrong doing – at least in his eyes. He had only plied the First Lady with a name and phone number. That technically wasn't a crime. At the end of the day Hollis liked Fitz and had no real desire to see the guy dead…

… His wife on the other hand – well she was a different story.

Five minutes with Olivia Pope would see this all sorted and sussed out.

Then he'd be on his merry way.

A woman's loud and harsh screams suddenly cut through his musings.

It seemed that the First Lady had arrived. Hollis couldn't help but shake his head. He then toed off his shoes and flopped back onto the cot and rested his arms behind his head.

Nothing to do now but wait.

A loud clang pulled Hollis from his light doze, with a quick glance at his watch he saw that it had been about two hours since he heard the last of the First Lady's screams and when he dropped off into a light sleep. When he looked up he caught sight of a rather large man in a suit step into the room. However it was the two figures that followed what was clearly an agent that piqued his interest.

"Mister Doyle, we'd like to speak with you." A bubbly baby faced woman said with a bright smile. The man that hovered behind her with his very dark eyes made Hollis suddenly very nervous.

c – r – a – z – y

Bright florescent lighting flickered and hummed as it's prone to do. The smell of bleach, antiseptic and blood permeated the air. The gentle click clack of a gurney being rolled down a long hallway could be heard as well as two voices conversing back and forth softly.

The soft murmuring of said voices began to penetrate Becky's conscious.

"Jesus H. Christ, what the fuck did they do to this girl?" A distinctly male voice murmured.

"She shot the president of the United States, what do you think they did to her?" Another male voice responded.

A heavy sigh could be heard and Becky could feel hands start to work on her wounds. She let out a soft but sharp cry when one of the hands brushed against her left hand. Becky was well aware that her left hand was now completely deformed thanks to Huck and that Quinn girl. The two doctors shared a look over her head and one made moves toward a syringe and within a minute Becky was once again passed out.

"Gentleman,"

"Mister Beene, sir."

"Let's keep our guest alive and comfortable, please. She may or may not still have her uses yet."

"Of course,"

"Wonderful, Agent Rhodes and Agent Cairns here will be keeping our young lady company. If you need to get in touch with me for any reason please liaise with them."

With that Cyrus Beene left the room, leaving behind two befuddled doctors and a broken Becky. Things were slowly beginning to fall into place. All four suspects were now all in the bowels for the Pentagon. No more than ten people officially knew that said four had been brought in.

The time for answers had come.

Becky was currently being kept under sedation and would be for the foreseeable future.

Both Verna and Mellie were being kept in cells of their own. They were the last two to be grabbed and brought in. So they were still going through their pre-requisite few hours of freak out. The idea was to let their minds wander for that time before even attempting conversation/interrogation. A person's mind could be their own worst enemy. Someone's mind could be considered a weapon, a powerful weapon at that. The idea was to turn that person's very best weapon against themselves.

Hollis's isolation time was up.

Cyrus was well aware that Huck along with his little shadow, Quinn were in with Hollis at that very minute. If Cyrus was honest with himself, both Huck and Quinn made him nervous. He didn't envy Hollis Doyle.

c – r – a – z – y

Justice Verna Thornton sighed heavily; she was too old and too sick for this shit.

She always knew that Millicent Grant nee Vaunt was a fucking problem. Just like her relationship with the Grant family went back many years, as did her relationship with the Vaunt family. Mellie's parents doted on their child seeing as she was their only one but at the same time the expectations they heaped on their only child were much too high.

Verna saw that Mellie was a perfectionist early on and it only got worse as the child got older.

When Verna had heard of the merging of the two families she had remained skeptical that the marriage would last. Fitz and Mellie were polar opposites and it quickly became clear that this was not a case of opposites attracting. She remembered Fitz as being a quiet and driven young man. No matter what he did, he wanted to help people. So Verna wasn't surprised when the boy had joined the Navy. She also remembered how much that had annoyed Big Gerry – which probably added to the boy's decision to do so.

Fitzgerald was quiet, humble and driven. That was how Verna always knew him to be.

However, Mellie would tell anyone who would listen that she was going to be great when she got older and then when she was older she continued to tell everyone how great she thought she was. It was something that Verna had continued to roll her eyes at in private but never thought much of. Mellie always came across as just another stuffed and puffed up blue blood to Verna.

Certainly nothing to write home about, but things took a darker turn about a month ago. Verna can remember their conversation so clearly, the two were meeting for tea to play catch up and for appearances sake when all of a sudden Mellie had started in about Defiance. Verna can remembering being taken aback at the way Mellie began to lament that Fitz wasn't a proper president and that he was doing the public a disservice and that it was time for change. Before Mellie could get any further, Verna quickly shut down the conversation. Everyone, except Olivia had gotten what they had wanted out of Defiance and Fitz wasn't even aware it had occurred. It was something they were to never talk about again. Shortly after that Verna took her leave of the East Wing and the White House.

However the encounter had jarred Verna enough that she put in a call to her old friend, Rose Vaunt – Mellie's mother. The two spent much of the time catching up and gossiping about society's elite but as the conversation continued the words Adolescence, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Bi-Polar and Depression all came to light.

All of which left Verna at a loss as to what to do next and because of that hesitation the two people she saw as friends and children of her own were lying in hospital beds.

With another heavy sigh at the turn of her thoughts, Verna was left to do nothing but wait.

c – r – a – z – y

A large black man with dark eyes and a grim expression made his way through the winding corridors of the Pentagon at a steady clip. He was flanked by two agents of his own; however they were not Secret Service – far from it. He was not a man who liked scandals, scandals were problematic and disruptive. He was a man who liked things clear, cut, tidy and in order at all times. However, this particular administration seemed to make it their mission – albeit unknowingly to have him in an early grave.

The list was seemingly endless when it came to the Grant Administration.

Affairs, rigged elections, lying of Supreme Court Justices, a litany of other small petty crimes and now an assassination attempt.

In all honestly he could handle everything they had previously thrown at him but this assassination attempt had pushed him over the edge.

Enough was enough in his opinion.

There would be calm. There would be order. The Republic demanded _nothing_ less.

There was only one good thing about this attempt on Fitzgerald Grant's Life. He would be able to use this incident and the investigation to get close to both the President and Miss Pope. Something he had been longing to do for quite some time now.

He then stopped abruptly outside a large steel door and waited for it to be opened, before being escorted inside by his two agents.

"Hello Madam First Lady, my name is Rowan and I would very much like to speak to you today."

c – r – a – z – y

Olivia hummed softly to the music that filled the room. She had been able to get Hal and Stephen to retrieve a few things both from her home and the White House in order to make the recovery room more comfortable. Everything from simple changes of clothing, to bath products and both their iPods with portable speakers have found their way into the room.

She wandered around the room as she finished up her nightly routine. Although she was moving much slower than she normally would the doctor's were pleased with her progress. She was up and moving on her own and felt strong – or as strong as you could get two days post shooting. Physical therapy was a reality she was going to have to face. As well as regular checkups when it came to her lungs, the bullet had come to close to them for comfort.

With a sigh, Olivia leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Fitz's brow before letting her lips lightly trace down the side of his face before they landed on his lips. She then pressed two or three soft kisses to his lips before pulling away. She then carefully maneuvered herself into the bed beside Fitz. Her body curled around his, one hand curled around his the other lay across his chest, leaving that hand to rest at the base of his neck.

The position both comfortable and familiar.

The soft strands of Ella Fitzgerald's '_The Man I Love_' filled the room as Olivia felt her mind, heart and breathing begin to slow. Sleep would soon be coming but just as the song was ending and Olivia was dropping off, she felt the hard body beneath hers begin to shift slowly. She then saw a large hand slowly move toward her face and gentle fingertips brushed a few stray strands of hair from her eyes. Her breath left her lungs in a large whoosh and when she looked up; her eyes had already begun to glass over.

Dark slate blue eyes looked down at her in wonder, but then a small tired smile curled on his chapped lips.

"Hi,"

**End Five **

_If you've never heard '__**The Man I Love**__' Ella Fitzgerald's version, please check it out on YouTube, it's simply amazing. And what the hell just happened!? Our beautiful POTUS is awake. That's what! – I know I'm excited! We can finally get to work. Are you ready?_

_Reviews are like popcorn and wine – one can never have enough of 'em_!


End file.
